Credit: DVDTown.com
Creators:
Bruno Heller
John Milius
William J. MacDonald
Cast:
Kevin McKidd ………. Lucius Vorenus
Ray Stevenson ………. Titus Pullo
Max Pirkis ………. Gaius Octavian
Ciaran Hinds ………. Gaius Julius Caesar
Kerry Condon ………. Octavia of the Julii
James Purefoy ………. Mark Antony
Kenneth Cranham ………. Pompey Magnus
Polly Walker ………. Atia of the Julii
Lindsay Duncan ………. Servilia of the Junii
Tobias Menzies ………. Marcus Junius Brutus
Indira Varma ………. Niobe
David Bamber ………. Marcus Tullius Cicero
Karl Johnson ………. Marcus Porcius Cato
Lee Boardman ………. Timon
Rick Warden ………. Quintus Pompey
Anna Fausta Primiano ………. Vorena
Esther Hall ………. Lyde
Paul Jesson ………. Metellus Scipio
Lorcan Cranitch ………. Erastes Fulmen
Guy Henry ………. Cassius
Nicholas Woodeson ………. Posca
Lyndsey Marshal ………. Cleopatra
The Show
What was Rome really like during the time that Julius Caesar was around? Caesar did do a lot of conquering at this time and he took over many lands, so you can say he was the main figurehead in the Roman government. That is not totally true, though. Was Rome really this epic masterpiece with beautiful settings and vivid battles that made Rome look like all sunshine and roses? That’s what Hollywood usually portrays Rome as. Or was Rome full of violence and sex and deceit and betrayal? Which do you think makes for a better story?
This show was created by HBO to show you what Rome was really like during the time of Julius Caesar. Caesar has to be one of the most influential men in the history of the world. Books, plays, and movies have been written about him. It’s hard to find someone that doesn’t know who he was, since you have to learn about him multiple times in school as you grow up. The main reason for that is not because he was a great war hero and powerful leader. He was just that, but the story of his betrayal by his “friends” is what makes Caesar memorable. Rome was full of “drama” during this time and it’s easy to see why HBO would want to create a TV show based on this subject.
This is the first season of ‘Rome’, which aired in 2005. It spent three years in production before being aired on HBO. This was also a joint project with the BBC as most of the cast and crew on the show are British. Massive sets were built and thousands of people took part in the show as “extras”. As a result, $100 million dollars was spent on producing this season of the show. That’s a lot of money to produce a TV show, if you didn’t know. However, it was worth it as they really tried to capture what Rome was really like during this time.
The show starts off in 52 B.C. just as Caesar has conquered Gaul. This extended the Roman Republic to the Atlantic Ocean. The season continues as it shows us the shift in power in Rome from a Republic to an Empire. Although, the show is about the lives of rich, powerful, and “historically significant” men, the show is centered on two ordinary soldiers. Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo are soldiers in Caesar’s army and are best of friends. Their relationship and how they are related to others are some of the most interesting relationships on the show. This first season also follows Caesar’s civil war with his co-counsel, Magnus Pompey, along with Caesar’s rise to dictator, and finally his assassination on March 15, 44 B.C. Don’t think I just ruined the story for you as you should ALL know that. It’s in the history books after all. In addition, we also follow a young boy named Octavian, the great nephew of Caesar, who would eventually become the first Emperor of Rome. Oh yeah, Mark Antony and Cleopatra are also in here as well as you might imagine.
The best thing about this show is the characters and settings. Rome is not presented as this “epic environment”. It is presented in its raw state. It looks fantastic, though, and you can tell the production is top-notch here. Most of the characters on the show are great. You’ll probably like Lucius and Titus the most, since they are presented as the most likable characters. Mark Antony, Caesar, and Pompey are all excellently cast as you might imagine. There is no doubt that the “villian” on this show is Atia, though. She is evil to the core. But the most interesting character probably is the young boy, Octavian. The boy who is set to become the heir to Caesar’s throne. Watching him grow up to be that should be interesting. I might even compare it to watching young Anakin Skywalker grow up to become Darth Vader, except Octavian is not as evil as Darth Vader. Still Octavian gains extreme power as the first emperor of Rome. That’s another story and another season, though.
There are things that people won’t like about this show, as it’s not for everyone. For one thing, the pace is slow. Not enough action for some. I understand that this show is more about the characters and not about the action, but it gets a little hard to watch at times. This show is a lot like another HBO show called ‘The Wire’. You’ve probably heard of it before. You really need to be there for every episode to understand what is going on. That is not totally true, since this is history and you know what happens. But why watch this show in the first place if all you want to do is read about it? If you want to enjoy this show, you need to pay attention to it. There is a lot of stuff going on up on the screen. Some other people may not like all of the sex and violence. Here is a warning for you. There is A LOT of sex and violence. This is not network TV. They can show sex and extreme violence. Guess what, though? This is what Rome was all about during this time. Violence is everywhere and the same can be said for sex. If you can’t handle this, which is the truth, then watch something else.
I really can’t see this show lasting more than another season, which is coming out next year. I’m sure they can show the power struggle between Mark Antony and Octavian, but beyond that, I’m not so sure. I think what makes this season so good is the betrayal of Caesar. That’s not the only reason to watch this show, of course, but it’s one of the strong points of this first season. If you are fan of history, then this is a must-watch show for you. It’s not like anything else you have seen about Rome and Caesar. This is the “real” Rome. If you can’t stand history, then you’re probably better off watching ‘The Wire’.
Episodes:
Disc One:
Episode 1 – The Stolen Eagle
52 B.C., Caesar has just conquered Gaul. Centurion Lucius Vorenus and Legionnaire Titus Pullo are enlisted to find the army’s stolen gold standard. In Rome, Caesar’s old friend Pompey Magnus is counseled by the Senate, who is worried that Caesar’s popularity will rattle the status quo, along with their wealth and power.
Episode 2 – How Titus Pullo Brought Down the Republic
After eight years away at war, Lucius Vorenus returns to a homecoming he was not expecting. Titus Pullo’s actions might soon become trouble for the republic. Meanwhile, Mark Antony enters public office as a tribune for the people and Caesar begins to mobilize his troops for the return trip to Rome.
Disc Two:
Episode 3 – An Owl in a Thornbush
With Caesar quickly advancing towards Rome, Pompey begins ordering a retreat and forces his citizens to pick sides. Timon is forced to do Atia’s ditry work. While on a scouting mission some 30 miles from Rome, Vorenus cannot understad why no else is resisting Caesar’s military advances.
Episode 4 – Stealing From Saturn
As Pompey maneuvers outside the city, Caesar seeks to consolidate his hold on Rome. Atia throws a party to welcome Caesar home, while Vorenus throws one of his own to usher in his new life as a citizen businessman. Pullo’s run of luck continues when he delivers Quintus Pompey to Caesar, who in turn returns Quintus to his father’s camp with an offer of truce he knows Pompey will never accept.
Episode 5 – The Ram Has Touched the Wall
Caesar weighs Pompey’s counteroffer against Antony’s recommendations to chase down Pompey’s vulnerable army. Vorenus is forced to reconsider his career choices after a series of business setbacks leave him with little income to support his family. A jealous Atia concocts a clever scheme to separate Caesar from Servilia. Pullo is recruited to tutor Octavian in the art of soldiering, but ends up learning a lesson or two from the boy.
Disc Three:
Episode 6 – Egeria
Mark Antony is running Rome while Caesar pursues Pompey in the East, but when news come that the tide has turned and that Pompey now pursues Caesar, Antony must decide whether to remain loyal to his old commander or turn against him as Atia and Pompey wish. Pullo takes Octavian to a brothel. Atia offers Servilia an olve branch. Vorenus and Niobe rediscover their intimace, albeit briefly.
Episode 7 – Pharsalus
Marooned in the Adriatic Sea, Vorenus and Pullo struggle to survive. In Greece, Pompey decides to attack Caesar’s depleted forces, whose lack of options turns into their greatest strength. The result finds Pompey seeking reinforcements. In Rome, Octavia is enlisted by Atia to ask another favor of Servilia.
Episode 8 – Caesarion
Having pursued Pompey into Egypt, Caesar arrives in Alexandria and meets the boy king Ptolemy XIII, who offers the general a surprise gift. Vorenus and Pullo play liberators again, freeing Ptolemy’s incarcerated sister, Cleopatra. Caesar seeks payment from Egypt for past debts and ends up forging a strategic union to ensure his legacy.
Disc Four:
Episode 9 – Utica
With Scipio and Cato defeated, Caesar returns home to a hero’s welcome. Vorenus and Pullo’s showdown with local thug erastes gets an unexpected reprieve from Caesar. Servilia’s plan to use Octavia to unearth a secret about Caesar backfires.
Episode 10 – Triumph
Unanimously proclaimed Emperor by the Senate, Caesar pronounces the war over, and prepare for five days of feasting and games honoring his “Triumph”. No longer an enlisted soldier, Pullo eyes a pastoral future with Eirene. Vorenus runs for municipal magistrate with Posca’s help. Octavian retrieves Octavia from her self-imposed exile. Servilia invites a revenger-minded Quintus Pompey into her home, to Brutus’ dismay.
Disc Five:
Episode 11 – The Spoils
While Pullo descends into Erastes’ Netherworld, Vorenus negotiates a severance for veteran soldiers on behalf of Caesar, who in turn invites him and Niobe to one of Atia’s parties. Cassius attempts to convince Brutus that the life and death of the Republic is indeed “in your hands”.
Episode 12 – Kalends of February
As a result of their arena exploits, Pullo and Vorenus have become heroes to the Roman rank and file, causing Caesar to reward those he would normally punish. Pullo’s unexpected return to Vorenus’ household is not appreciated by his former slave Eirene. Caesar decides to overhaul the Senate by adding some surprising new faces to the chagrin of the old guard. Servilia hurdles the final obstacle in her ambitious revenge scenario at Niobe’s expense.
Score: 8/10
The Video:
The video is given in widescreen color with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. Transfer is great with minimal distortion. This show looks more like a movie than a TV show due to the insane budget for the show. It was worth it, though.
The Audio:
The audio included is available in English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo sound, English Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, French Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo sound, and SPanish Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo sound. There is an option for English, Spanish, and French subtitles as well. No problems here either. Dialogue is easily heard and the music fits the show.
The Extras:
Audio Commentaries –
There are eight of these featuring various members of the cast and crew of the show. Bruno Heller (creator/writer) and Jonathan Stamp (historical consultant) comment on “The Stolen Eagle”, “How Titus Pullo Brought Down the Republic”, “Pharsalus”, and “Kalends of February” episodes. Steve Shill (director) comments on the “Caesarion” episode. Jeremy Podeswa (director) comments on the “Utica” episode. Ray Stevenson (cast, Titus Pullo) comments on “The Ram Has Touched the Wall” episode. Finally, Kevin McKidd (cast, Lucius Vorenus) comments on “The Spoils” episode. These are all very good. I like the ones with Heller and Stamp the best, but I like the “cast” ones as well. I usually like it when the cast talks about the episodes, but this is an exception here. Very informative stuff here, though.
All Roads Lead to Rome –
This is an interactive onscreen guide prepared by Jonathan Stamp, the show’s historical consultant. It basically acts like subtitles in each episode, except it doesn’t show the words said on the screen. Instead, it gives you more information on what was really happening here in terms of history. This really fills in the blanks that might not be explained on the screen as it gives you more background information.
Friends, Romans, Countrymen –
This is an introduction to all of the characters on the show. If you don’t remember much about Roman history and want more background information on the main characters, here is where you need to go to start before watching a single episode.
The Rise of Rome –
This is a behind-the-scenes featurette on the sets, wardrobe, and actor’s boot camp that everyone went through to make this ‘Rome’ the best most accurate portrayal of Rome ever! They actually shot the show in Rome to make it as real as possible. They succeeded.
When in Rome –
This is a featurette on the culture of ancient Rome. The same as above, but different subjects in this one. It talks more about the culture of ancient Rome. What Rome was REALLY like as they tried to put that in the show. We see examples of that as they go along. Another good featurette here.
Shot x Shot: Gladiator –
This is a closer look at the thrilling fight sequence in episode 11. The fight in question is when Vorenus and Pullo fought off a large number of gladiators. They wanted to do an unique gladiator scene. One that has never been seen before. That worked as well. Awesome scene. This breaks down all the steps in making this scene.
Shot x Shot: Caesar’s Triumph –
This is a closer look at the production of the epic “triumph” scene in episode 10. It is what it says it is. This scene is the biggest scene of the entire season as far as costing them the most money to produce. It’s a big party for Caesar and this takes you through all of the steps of making it.
Character Guide Booklet –
This is a 8 page booklet inside of the DVD set that features the names of the main characters with pictures and short descriptions of who they were, and how they were related to other characters on the show. Just a quick reference guide, if you forget who is who while watching the show.
Score: 8/10
| InsidePulse’s Ratings for Rome – The Complete First Season | |
